Review: Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

MY TAKE:
This book fell just shy of being amazing for me.

In Champion, the Colonies have broken the treaty and are finally attacking the republic. Now, June, Day, Anden, the Patriots and the rest of the Republic must fight back or see their country conquered for good.

This book was action-packed, which I liked. It wasn't just fight scenes, though, there are certain scenes wherein June or Day are in danger and you feel your heart pounding as you read. I think that's what I liked the most about this series. It reads like an action series, but there's a lot of romance as well.

The whole politics in the book was interesting as well. The Colonies were the enemy, of course, but you are reminded that not everything is in black and white. Countries and leaders are not perfect and they each have their own ways of making things work. Some are more evil than others, sure, but again, most are not pure evil. The wheeling and dealing that Anden does politically was a nice addition as well, and certainly how I imagined it happening in the real world.

The romance, however, is what I wasn't completely happy about. I liked most of June and Day's interactions, but towards the end, it got way too angst-heavy to the point that I felt like they, particularly June, was punishing herself unnecessarily. For a moment there, I thought this was going to be another Divergent, but it wasn't exactly, so it was slightly better, in a way. It's probably realistic, in the sense that others out there probably have had the same experience. The romantic in me wasn't too pleased with it, however, which is kinda strange in a way as well, since I think some people may think the ending is actually quite romantic.

THE GOOD:

1. It's action-packed.
2. It presents politics and countries in a realistic, sometimes harsh, light.
3. Day and June are ultimately happy. 

THE BAD:

1. It can get really angsty sometimes. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

“I’ve been searching a long time for something I think I lost.
I felt like I found something when I saw you back there.” 

READ IT IF:

1. You like action-packed books.
2. You like dystopian novels.
3. You liked the first two books in the series. 

RATING:


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